A clear messaged has been sent this week, there is no place for such discriminatory laws in Australia. A petition launched by Australia’s LGBTIQ youth charity Minus18, in response to the leaks, received 20,000 signatures in just over 48 hours, highlighting an exception that is out of touch with the views of most Australians.

The amendments must seek to abolish existing exceptions for religious organisations under State and Federal anti-discrimination laws. These are actively operating laws allowing religious schools to discriminate in several states, including New South Wales and Victoria. These specifically are:

Nothing in paragraph 14(1)(a) or (b) or 14(2)(c)renders it unlawful for a person to discriminate against another person on the ground of the other person's sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or relationship status

Minus18 calls for the laws to be changed so that any religious organisation that receives public funding can no longer discriminate on the basis of sexuality or gender identity.